This invention relates to dictation/transcription systems for the recording and retrieval of audio signals such as voice signals and, more particularly, to a display device for a dictation/transcription system for display of information relating to the usage of a recording/playback unit.
A variety of display devices for dictation/transcription equipment is presently available, such as lamps, LED's, liquid crystal displays and the like. By way of example of display devices for dictation/transcription equipment which have been proposed, the following United States Patents are of interest.
Matison (U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,893) discloses the display of locations of information recorded on a tape recording medium, and a counting of revolutions of a reel of a tape transport to determine position of the recording tape.
Sander et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,337) disclose the storage and display of information relating to the length and identity of recorded messages in a system employing multiple dictation stations.
Titus et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,279) disclose a numerical readout of dictation segments and time available for dictation on a recording medium.
Titus et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,527) disclose the use of registers for storing information as to the location of messages recorded on a recording medium, and the presentation of such information by numerical and graphical displays.
Dictation/transcription equipment may be employed in a business office for dictation of memoranda, letters, and other such materials which are later played back for transcription to a typewritten document. Typically, dictation is recorded on cassettes of magnetic recording tape; and a given cassette may store several items of dictation of different types, of differing length, by different authors, and having different priorities of transcription.
Heretofore, detailed information about the location of a dictated item on the recording tape, the length of that item, its author, the priority in which each item should be transcribed, and other such relevant dictation/transcription information has not been available readily to the transcriptionist. It would be advantageous if such information is recorded for display. In some dictation/transcription machines having electronic displays, information helpful to the transcription of recorded material may be lost (or "erased") upon shut down or power deenergization of the machine.